First Assistant Erie County District Attorney Michael J. Flaherty, Jr. announces that 29 year-old Edgardo Mercado-Ramos of Buffalo was convicted as charged of Burglary in the First Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, and Criminal Contempt in the First Degree, after an eight-day jury trial before State Supreme Court Justice Deborah A. Haendiges.

On December 25, 2014 and in violation of an Order of Protection directing him to stay away from his estranged girlfriend, Mercado-Ramos broke into her estranged girlfriend’s residence, wielding a two and a half foot long machete. Mercado Ramos punched, kicked, maced and otherwise terrorized the victim over the course of several hours. The victim managed to summon help by texting a friend, who promptly called the police. Alerted by their sirens, Mercado-Ramos fled from the police, but was chased and captured. picked up down the street thanks to the quick response from the Buffalo Police Department, still carrying the can of mace in his pocket. All of this occurred in violation of a previously issued Order of Protection.

No stranger to the criminal justice system in general or to domestic violence in particular, Mercado-Ramos boasted three prior criminal convictions before the Christmas attack upon the victim. Tellingly, one of those convictions was for a prior domestic violence incident involving the very same victim, for which he served six months in jail.

Mercado-Ramos face up to 25 years in state prison when he is sentenced by Justice Haendiges on November 22, 2015.

The case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Rachel L. Newton, Chief of the Domestic Violence Bureau, and Assistant District Attorney Timothy J. Garvin, who is also assigned to the Erie County District Attorney’s Office Domestic Violence Bureau. First ADA Flaherty stated: “This case once again demonstrates the dangers faced by domestic violence victims and the heinous conduct of domestic violence offenders. This case also demonstrates how seriously the District Attorney’s Office takes such matters and how aggressively we prosecute them.”